Of Ashes and Dust
by Kamari the Mighty
Summary: Ten years after entering Beacon teams RWBY and JNPR, along with their friends, face new challenges and threats in the never ending struggle to defend the world from the forces of darkness. AU. Rated T for violence, occasional language, and brief sex.
1. After Beacon

**I own nothing. RWBY is the property of Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth Productions.**

* * *

Beacon Academy has long been the premier combat school in the four kingdoms of Remnant. Aspiring Huntresses and Huntsmen have come from all over the world to learn and hone their craft at the school and many have made quite good lives for themselves with the training they received there. But it was not until recently that Beacon produced some truly remarkable Huntresses and Huntsmen. These individuals have each gone on to become the greatest defenders the world has ever known, surpassing all who came before them. But they have not forgotten where they came from or how they achieved such skill and they will fight for Vale and all of Remnant until their final breath, no matter what the cost.

These individuals number eight, in total, and they were once the members of the two most successful and well known teams in Beacon's history, Team RWBY and Team JNPR. The eight members of these two teams accomplished more in their four years at Beacon than anyone before or since, a fact that they are all well aware of. During their time at Beacon they helped stop criminals, defeated Grimm, and successfully competed in the tournament during the Vytal Festival, among many other accomplishments. And yet, for all that success, it is what they have done since that is truly remarkable, feats of daring and courage that are the focus of this particular tale.

* * *

Ruby Rose was only fifteen when she enrolled at Beacon, starting two years earlier than would normally have been permitted. Although easily excitable and somewhat childish, Ruby quickly gained the respect of her fellow students and was named the leader of Team RWBY by Professor Ozpin due to her courage and ability to inspire others. Ruby is a natural in this role and has lead many successful hunts against the Grimm. While at Beacon, she was instrumental in helping take down the criminal empire of Cinder Fall and Roman Torchwick, two of the most notorious criminals in Vale's history. She graduated from Beacon with full honors and holds the record for most Grimm slain while still a student. Since graduating, Ruby has focused almost exclusively on being a Huntress, continuing to hone her skills while she defends the world from the Grimm. Recently, she has been investigating the increased number of attacks by the Grimm and the seemingly growing boldness of the creatures, both of which concern her greatly. But, with her trusty _Crescent Rose_ by her side, Ruby is convinced she can get to the bottom of this mystery.

Weiss Schnee began her tenure at Beacon as a somewhat less than friendly individual, but she soon learned to trust and respect her fellow students. The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss had always felt tremendous pressure to live up to that title and make her family proud. Because of this, she was often proper and dignified and tended to scorn those who did not conform to her view of the world. Her time at Beacon and her membership in Team RWBY helped her change, though she is still more likely to follow the rules than anyone else. While at Beacon, Weiss developed a close working relationship with Ruby and the two became highly successful teammates. Like Ruby, Weiss graduated with honors and is tied for the top aptitude score in the academy's history. Since graduating, Weiss has worked closely with the Vale police department, most recently investigating a string of deaths linked to a mysterious substance known as Liquid Dust, a case Weiss is determined to crack before it does any lasting damage to her family's reputation.

Blake Belladonna was somewhat of a mystery when she enrolled at Beacon. A former member of the faunus rights group known as the White Fang, Blake initially kept her true heritage hidden, not wanting to draw unnecessary trouble. However, as she got to know her teammates better she eventually revealed the truth, though she still chose to keep the secret from others. Intensely devoted to faunus rights, Blake was horrified to learn the White Fang had aligned itself with Roman Torchwick and was instrumental in ultimately bringing down Torchwick's organization. Like Ruby and Weiss, Blake graduated from Beacon with honors and holds the record for the most books read in a single semester, a title previously held by Beacon instructor Bartholomew Oobleck. Since graduating, Blake has dedicated herself to bridging the gap between humans and the faunus using peaceful means, through which she has converted many White Fang members back to the original goal of the organization. Recently, however, Blake has been investigating rumors that a new militant faction has arisen in the shadows, rumors she recently confirmed are true.

Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's elder sister, began her tenure at Beacon as a confident young woman who knew exactly what she wanted and nothing has changed. As Ruby's elder sister, Yang often took on a mothering roll with her teammates, especially Ruby, often encouraging them to try new things. Yang could also often be hot headed and fun loving, characteristics that continue to define her. And although she's mellowed somewhat in recent years, those who know Yang doubt she will ever truly change. Like her teammates, Yang graduated from Beacon with honors and holds the record for the most knockouts in practice fights. Since graduating, Yang has spent her time defending Vale and the other kingdoms from the Grimm, while also investigating the disappearance of Roman Torchwick and his allies, whom she believes are connected in some way to the rise of criminal activity in Vale.

* * *

Team RWBY may have been Beacon's most successful team, but they are far from the only team to have success. Their fellow classmates in Team JNPR are also known for their success and rival RWBY for the title of 'greatest team ever'.

Team JNPR was lead by Jaune Arc, an awkward, often clumsy individual who has worked hard to gain the respect he now has. Jaune suffered from extremely low self-esteem when he arrived at Beacon and was the butt of many jokes. At the time, his skills were quite raw and he lacked confidence in his abilities. But through hard work and determination, not mention a great deal of help from his friends, Jaune turned himself into a well respected Huntsman, achieving his life long dream through sheer force of will. It was no small feat, as Jaune didn't even get into Beacon through traditional means. He faked his transcripts and essentially lied his way in, something that he fought to overcome throughout his tenure at the academy. Yet, despite his hardships, Jaune graduated with honors and holds the, somewhat joking, title of most accidents in Beacon's history. Since graduating, Jaune has dedicated himself to the life of a Huntsman, continuing to hone his skills in an effort to defend the world from whatever lurks in the shadows.

Pyrrha Nikos began her tenure at Beacon as the opposite of Jaune in every way. An extremely accomplished and talented individual, Pyrrha had attended Sanctum Academy before enrolling at Beacon and was a multi-time winner of the Mistral regional tournament. She also obtained a sponsorship from the popular Pumpkin Pete's cereal, something that doesn't often happen to people as young as Pyrrha was at the time. Due to her early success, Pyrrha was instrumental in bolstering Jaune's confidence and became his closest companion and strongest supporter. Pyrrha naturally graduated with honors and is tied with Weiss Schnee for the highest aptitude score in Beacon's history. Since graduating, Pyrrha has spent much of her time fighting Grimm and competing in tournaments around the world, well also continuing to work closely with Jaune. Recently, however, she has also been assisting Ruby Rose in her investigation into the increased violence of the Grimm.

Nora Valkyrie began her tenure at Beacon as a hyperactive individual and nothing has really changed. Nora is still as crazy today as she was when she enrolled, if not more so. Yet, her personality quirks seem to have worked in Nora's benefit, for she, like her teammates and the members of RWBY, is one of the most accomplished graduates to ever attend Beacon. Nora used her spontaneity to her advantage while at the academy and has continued to do so since, often coming up with solutions no one else would have thought of. She graduated with honors and holds the title of 'most innovative fighter in school history.' Since graduating, Nora has worked primarily as a Huntress, putting her manic style to good use in the defense of Vale.

Lie Ren, Nora's long time friend, began his tenure at Beacon as the complete opposite of her. Where Nora is wild, hyperactive, and spontaneous, Ren is calm, collected, and orderly. And yet, arguably no other pair in Beacon's history has worked together as well as them, with Ruby and Weiss being the one possible exception. Ren perfectly compliments Nora in every way, balancing out her craziness with his levelheadedness. Ren was often the calm voice of reason for his team, and he continues to be a calming presence in people's lives to this day. Like his teammates, Ren graduated with honors and holds the honor of having single handedly defeated a King Taijitu, a feat no other Huntsman or Huntress has ever matched. Since graduating, Ren has worked as a Huntsman, often working with Nora and occasionally with Pyrrha and Jaune, well also teaching the occasional class at Beacon, a task Pyrrha, Weiss, Ruby, and Jaune have also carried out.

And yet, for all their success, RWBY and JNPR now face their greatest challenges. For a new darkness is brewing and it will fall on them to prevent it from swallowing Remnant whole. Yet, if anyone is up for the challenge, it is most certainly them.

* * *

**A/N: And that's chapter one. Sorry it's so short, but it's more of a prologue than anything else. I just didn't want to call it a prologue, for whatever reason. Anyway, as you can see, this picks up after my four one shots and is meant to be a foreshadowing of what is to come in this fic. There are a number of mysteries at work here, which will slowly be revealed as the story progresses, as will the whereabouts of the other characters not already discussed. That's really all I have for now, so hope you enjoyed this brief intro and welcome to "Of Ashes and Dust". Cheers, KT.**


	2. Reunions

It was a beautiful day in the city of Vale, the kind of day most people would be enjoying in any way possible. Weiss Schnee wasn't most people, however, and she certainly wasn't in any mood to be enjoying herself. Weiss had other things on her mind at the moment, more important things than basking in the sun or having a drink. It had only been four days since Weiss had fought a giant automaton on the Vale docks while investigating the distribution of a highly addictive drug made from Dust and she was still stewing over the fact that she had failed to gain any meaningful information from the encounter. Weiss had been injured in that fight and though her right hip was killing her, she was more determined than ever to solve this mystery.

It was for this reason that she was out today. That morning she had received a call from her former teammate, Ruby Rose, asking if they could meet. Weiss had instantly agreed, curious to know what Ruby wanted to discuss and hopeful that it would prove helpful in her own investigation. She knew Ruby had been looking in to rumors of increased aggressiveness from the Grimm, but she did not know what Ruby had discovered. Weiss had not had much contact with Ruby in recent months, or with their fellow teammates Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, for that matter, her investigation occupying too much of her time for social visits. She had spoken with Ruby a few weeks earlier, but that was it and she found herself excited to see Ruby again. Yet, she couldn't help wondering why Ruby was so keen to meet now, after so many months apart.

Weiss shook her head, silently criticizing herself for being suspicious. Whatever the reason Ruby wanted to meet for it wasn't likely to be anything bad and Weiss was glad Ruby had called.

Moments later she arrived at the address Ruby had given her, which turned out to be a small cafe in the heart of Vale. Smiling to herself, she entered the cafe to find Ruby sitting at a table in the back corner, her red hood pulled up over her head. Taking this as a questionable sign, Weiss made her way over to the table, her left hand reflexively moving to the hilt of _Myrtenaster_.

As she reached the table, Ruby looked up from her scroll, on which she appeared to be researching information on the Grimm. Seeing Weiss, Ruby grinned and flicked her scroll closed before speaking. "Hey Weiss." she said. "Glad you could make it."

"Hello Ruby." Weiss replied, amused. "Glad you called. What were you reading just now?"

"Oh nothing." Ruby answered. "Just some stuff about Grimm that we learned when we were at Beacon."

"Hoping for some aid in your investigation, perhaps?" Weiss asked, as she took a seat.

"Yeah, something like that." Ruby said. "Though I doubt anything we learned at the academy is going to help me now."

"What makes you say that?" Weiss asked, genuinely concerned.

"The Grimm aren't the same." Ruby said, pointedly. "Something has made them change and I...I have no idea what could have done that Weiss."

"Changed how, exactly?" Weiss asked, now more than concerned.

"They're faster." Ruby replied. "And stronger. And more cunning. The ones I fought the other day...they didn't go down anywhere near as easily as they should have."

"You fought-?" Weiss began, before Ruby cut her off.

"Yes, I fought them alone." Ruby said. "A pack of beowolves and three ursas and they were all stronger and faster than any Grimm I've ever fought before. Even the giant nevermore we fought in the Emerald Forest was weaker. One of them even landed a hit on me."

Weiss's pale blue eyes widened in shock. That Grimm were somehow stronger and faster than ever before was one thing, but that one of them had actually been able to hit Ruby was something else altogether. The Grimm had never been able to hit Ruby before, not with Ruby's semblance of super speed. So, if what Ruby was saying was true, and Weiss had no reason to think otherwise, then something had most definitely changed the Grimm and not for the better.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Weiss asked, staring Ruby right in the eye.

"Not yet." Ruby admitted. "But I have my reasons for that."

"Well, I'm sorry, but your reasons aren't good enough." Weiss said. "This is serious Ruby. If the Grimm are becoming more powerful, then we have an obligation to let everyone know, especially those who could help us."

"You think I don't know that?" Ruby asked, almost shouting. "I know perfectly well what my responsibilities as a Huntress are."

"Then why haven't you told anyone else?" Weiss countered. "I mean, what would Yang and Blake say if they knew?"

"If we knew what, Weiss?" a familiar, though unusually serious voice asked then.

Weiss spun in her seat and Ruby gasped in surprise as Blake and Yang made their way over to the table. It had been Yang who had spoken and the seriousness in her tone was unlike anything Weiss had ever heard from her before.

"If we knew what, exactly?" Yang repeated, her violet eyes boring into Weiss with white hot intensity.

"If you knew that Ruby has been fighting Grimm by herself." Weiss answered. "Grimm, which she says are stronger and faster than ever before, by the way."

"Is this true?" Yang asked, glancing at her little sister as she spoke.

"Yes." Ruby admitted. "But I'm not a child anymore Yang. I can handle myself."

"I know sis." Yang said, smiling. "But you should always have another Huntress or Huntsman with you when fighting Grimm. Isn't that what Professor Port always taught us?"

"It is." Ruby admitted. "And I'll be sure to remember that the next time I venture into the forest to fight monsters."

"But it is true then?" Blake asked. "What Weiss said about them being stronger and faster?"

"It's true alright." Ruby confirmed. "One of them even managed to hit me." She lifted her shirt then to show them a partially healed gash along her ribs.

"Damn Ruby." Yang said, sucking air in through her teeth. "Now I definitely don't want you fighting Grimm alone. Not if you're gonna come back looking like that."

"You should talk, but the way." Weiss put in. "You look like hell Yang."

"Glad to see I wasn't the only one who'd noticed that." Blake said, with a sidelong glance at Yang. "What happened to you anyway? You promised me you'd tell me the other day, but you never did." Her amber eyes met Yang's for a half second, before she pointedly turned her gaze elsewhere.

"I got into a scrape with Junior, is all." Yang answered, her tone defensive.

"What were you doing talking to Junior?" Ruby asked, looking her big sister up and down as she spoke.

"I was trying to get information on the whereabouts of Roman Torchwick." Yang answered. "And his allies."

"Why though?" Ruby asked. "Torchwick is gone. So are Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald. We made sure of that."

"Did we though?" Yang asked. "'Cause I'm not so sure we did. All this new crime in Vale, the emergence of this new drug, what if it's all connected to them somehow?"

"It is a possibility." Weiss conceded. "But I agree with Ruby on this one. We did a rather thorough job of ridding Vale of those criminals the last time we dealt with them."

Yang nodded, seeming to agree, though it was obvious that she was still convinced Torchwick and his allies were still out there somewhere.

"Well, in either case, things are definitely getting darker in Vale." Blake said then, in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"You mean besides an illegal drug, suddenly stronger Grimm, and the possibility that Torchwick is still active?" Weiss asked, her tone sarcastic.

"Yes." Blake answered, ignoring the sarcasm. "There's more going on here than any of you know." She paused a beat, letting the surprise sink in and then continued. "There's a new faunus rights group moving in the underground, one that means to make good on the weak threats of the White Fang. They call themselves the Red Fang and they mean to end humanity."

"Shit." Yang muttered. "Lunatic faunus are all we need right now."

"I agree." Blake said. "But I haven't told you the worst part yet, the leader of the Red Fang is my old partner Adam Taurus."

"The same Adam Taurus who was working with Torchwick and Cinder?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Blake confirmed. "And he's become even more vicious than before."

"Do Sun and Velvet know about this?" Weiss asked.

"Funny you should ask that, snowflake." another familiar voice said, drawing Weiss's attention. "'Cause the answer is yes, we do know about the Red Fang."

Weiss turned once again to find Sun Wukong standing in the cafe, flanked by his former teammate Neptune Vasilias. Behind them stood all four former members of Team CFVY and the four former members of team JNPR, with Jaune grinning awkwardly and Nora waving like an idiot.

"So, uh, sounds like you've all been keeping busy lately." Neptune said, in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had descended over the cafe.

"You could say that." Weiss said, her gaze lingering on Neptune. "But I'm more concerned with what all of you are doing here." She gestured at the group before her, her gaze still focused on Neptune, which didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"We were in the neighborhood." Neptune answered, grinning.

"Uh-huh, sure you were." Weiss said, shaking her head. "And you just happened to know that we were here, did you?"

"Well, it's not like you four are exactly hard to find, you know." Sun put in. "Besides, why does it matter why we're here anyway?"

"We could have been discussing something private, you know." Weiss answered.

"In a public location?" Sun asked. "Not likely, ice queen. Besides, we caught the end of the conversation. You were talking about the Red Fang and that's something I'm pretty interested in."

"What do you know about them?" Blake asked, glancing in Sun's direction.

"Not much, unfortunately." Sun admitted. "But I do know they want more than the White Fang ever did, and not in a good way."

That statement brought silence to the group. To learn that there was a new anti-human faunus organization in operation was more than any of them could process. It had appeared that the faunus struggle for equality had ended after the defeat of Cinder Fall and her allies, thanks in large part to the work of Blake, Velvet, and Sun. But many in the group had always suspected that not all faunus had been swayed to the side of peace and now it appeared those fears had been correct.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" Jaune said then, breaking the silence. "We all have a duty to protect the people and this seems like exactly the kind of situation that deserves our attention, right?"

"Yes, Jaune, it does." Ruby said, her tone unusually grave. "And that's exactly what we'll do. But first we need to find out who is behind all of this."

"You think someone is behind all of this?" Jaune asked, puzzled. "As in there is some sort of connection between the Red Fang, Liquid Dust, the increased violence of the Grimm, and whatever else is going on?"

"Yes." Ruby answered. "I think there is a connection, but I can't figure out what."

"Is that even possible?" Weiss asked. "That all of these things are connected, I mean."

"I think it's certainly possible." Pyrrha put in. "I had a conversation with Professor Ozpin the other day and he seems to think the same. I don't know about the rest of you, but if Ozpin thinks there is a connection, I think it's something worth checking out."

"Okay, but where do we even start with something like that?" Jaune asked.

"By examining the individual pieces." Ruby answered. "If we discover more about each of the parts involved we should be able to find the sum of those parts."

"When did you become so analytical?" Jaune asked, shooting Ruby a curious glance.

Ruby shrugged and turned her attention to the group at large. "So what do you guys think?" she asked. "Should we pursue this challenge or not?"

"I don't think we have a choice sis." Yang said. "Like Jaune said, it's our duty to protect the people from the forces that conspire against them."

"Well, that settles it then." Ruby said. "We're doing this. Now, all we need to do is figure out where to start."

"I think I have an idea." Yang said, grinning as she cocked _Ember Celica_.

Ruby didn't ask what Yang was thinking, just glad that everyone had agreed with her and that they were all finally working together once again.

**A/N: And that's chapter 2. Sorry for the massive delay between chapters, by the way. I've been a bit busy lately. Anyway, the foundation has been laid and now we'll see if anything comes of all this speculation. All I can say for now is things are going to get very interesting and very dangerous as this story moves forward. Until then, hope you enjoyed. Cheers, KT.**


	3. Taking Action

"I don't think there is anyone here." Weiss said, glancing from Ruby to the desolate building they had spent the last several hours surveying.

"I'm starting to think you're right." Ruby agreed, disappointment tinging her tone.

It had been more than a day since she and Weiss had met with Blake and Yang, the members of Team JNPR, Sun, Neptune, and the members of Team CFVY and decided to investigate the possible connections between several seemingly separate events that threatened the security of Vale and the other kingdoms. So far, their investigation had yielded precious little new information and Ruby was beginning to wonder if they had been premature in their assumptions. Still, she wasn't ready to give up just yet, knowing that sometimes it took longer than expected for answers to present themselves.

Currently, she and Weiss were watching an abandoned building near the Vale docks that was rumored to be one of the last known hideouts of Roman Torchwick. Unfortunately, even if the rumors were true, Torchwick seemed to have left nothing behind to indicate that he'd ever used this building at all. And if anyone else was still using it, they weren't making their presence known.

"That's it, I'm going in." Ruby said, sliding gracefully from her hiding spot.

"But we're only supposed to watch the place." Weiss protested. "And I don't think there's anything in there for us to find."

"Only one way to find out." Ruby said, drawing _Crescent Rose_ before approaching the building, motioning for Weiss to follow.

Sighing, Weiss drew _Myrtenaster_ and followed her partner, every inch of her screaming that this was a bad idea.

The interior of the building was even more dilapidated than its exterior and Weiss could see why there was speculation that Torchwick had used it as a base. The entire place screamed "criminal hideout", though there was nothing inside to indicate that it had ever been used as such. Still, there was an unmistakable air of darkness about the place and Weiss was certain something unpleasant had occurred in this building.

"Ruby?" she called. "Ruby, where are you?"

"Over here." Ruby replied, her voice echoing in the cavernous confines.

Weiss moved in the direction Ruby's voice had come from, scanning the room for any signs of trouble. She was particularly cautious here, given the building's proximity to the docks, where Weiss knew production and distribution of Liquid Dust was taking place. It was possible that even if Torchwick hadn't used this building, the manufacturers of the drug were using it in some capacity. There were no signs that this was the case, but Weiss knew from experience that finding the source of the drug was a lot harder than it seemed.

As she mulled over the possibility that this could be a drug storage house, she caught sight of a glint of metal in the dim light and instinctively dropped into a defensive posture, only to realize a second later that it was just the blade of _Crescent Rose_. Breathing a sigh of relief, Weiss moved to stand beside her partner, who was staring intently at something on the far wall.

"Find something?" she asked, her voice making Ruby jump.

"I'm not sure." Ruby answered, doing her best to hide the fact that she'd been startled. "I can't tell, but I think there's some kind of message written on that wall."

Weiss followed her gaze and after a moment she thought she could make out what Ruby was talking about. "There's definitely words written there, but I can't read them through all the grime." she said, her gaze moving back to Ruby.

Ruby continued to stare at the wall, before walking up to it and attempting to wipe away some of the grime. Her efforts proved somewhat successful, though what she uncovered only left her more confused, for the words scrawled on the wall appeared to be only part of a message, one that read, _of ashes and dust._ There didn't appear to be any more to the message however and Ruby had no idea what it was supposed to mean.

"What do you suppose that means?" she asked, glancing at Weiss.

"I haven't the faintest idea." Weiss answered. "It looks like the scribbling of a madman, if you ask me."

"Meaning what?" Ruby asked. "That some crazy person just wrote that on a wall for no reason? Why would they do that?"

"Because they're crazy?" Weiss suggested, her tone incredulous.

"But why this building?" Ruby asked. "If this really was one of Torchwick's hideouts, why was that written here?"

"Who knows." Weiss answered. "It was probably written there after Torchwick left. Why does it matter anyway?"

"I don't know." Ruby answered. "There's something about it that unnerves me, I guess."

"They're just words scrawled on a building Ruby." Weiss said. "They're not going to hurt you. Now come on, let's get out of here before something that can hurt us shows up."

"Yeah, alright." Ruby said, casting one last glance at the scrawl on the wall before following Weiss out of the building, disappointment boiling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Across town, Blake and Yang had staked out another abandoned building, hoping to gain some knowledge of the whereabouts of the Red Fang. So far, there had been no sign that the group was using this building as a hideout, but Blake was certain there was something here to find. She just wasn't sure what that something was.

"Are you sure this is the place the Red Fang brought you?" Yang asked then, with a sidelong glance at her partner.

"I am." Blake answered, not meeting Yang's gaze.

Blake's tone suggested she was not interested in answering a thousand questions, so Yang kept her silence, swallowing the other questions she wished to ask. Still she couldn't help wondering if her partner's desire to stop the Red Fang was making her see things that weren't actually there. After all, it wasn't like Blake hadn't obsessed like this before. Back when they were still at Beacon, Yang had watched Blake spiral out of control as she obsessed over the threat posed by the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. She could only hope that wasn't what was happening now.

"So, what do you think the Red Fang actually want?" Yang asked, in an effort to break the silence, stretching her stiffening spine as she spoke.

"The same thing the White Fang wanted, only more extreme." Blake answered.

"So they want faunus/human equality?" Yang asked. "How could they make that more extreme? I don't get it."

Blake sighed before answering. "It's more that they want faunus domination." she said. "The Red Fang wants to take the mission of the White Fang one step further and control all aspects of life in Remnant. And they see eliminating humans as the key to achieving that goal."

"So they want to kill us all, is that it?" Yang asked, her tone serious.

"Yes." Blake answered. "But it's obvious to me that not all faunus feel the same. That's why I'm so determined to stop the Red Fang, before they have a chance to turn more faunus to their cause, thus breaking the peace Sun, Velvet, and I helped build."

"Well, I'll support you, no matter what." Yang said, with a warm smile.

"I know you will." Blake replied. "I've known that for-wait, did you hear that?"

Yang blinked, taken aback by Blake's sudden change of subject, before she heard it too, the sounds of something moving in the building they were watching.

"There's something in there." she breathed, her entire body tensing.

"Not something, someone." Blake said. "Multiple faunus, to be exact."

"How can you tell?" Yang asked, surprise coloring her tone.

"I can smell them." Blake answered. "And two of them smell familiar." She drew _Gambol Shroud_ from its sharpened sheath, her movements suggesting that conflict was imminent.

"What's our plan here?" Yang asked, _Ember Celica_ clicking into their full combat ready form. Her gaze moved from the building to Blake as she spoke, her partner's silence making her skin crawl with sudden uncertainty.

"We take them down and get answers." Blake replied, her sharp gaze fixed on the building, as though it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.

Yang nodded, not needing to ask if there was more to Blake's plan, and they sprang into action, dropping from their hiding place like ghosts.

Yang landed on the balls of her feet, the impact making her shudder. Blake landed gracefully beside her without so much as a sound. Yang felt a brief stab of jealousy towards Blake's ability to move so silently, before remembering that that was merely a product of Blake being a faunus.

For a moment they waited listening for any more signs of movement, and then Blake advanced, her body coiled like a snake ready to strike. Yang had never seen her partner so intense and again felt a stab of worry, before reminding herself that there was a reason Blake was so determined. Yet she couldn't help feeling that if Blake continued to pursue this endeavor with such conviction it would end up getting her hurt or worse.

Blake, however, seemed oblivious to her partner's worries, her mind consumed with the task at hand. She quickly and quietly cut her way through the rotted wooden door at the front of the building, _Gambol Shroud_ making quick work of the maggot infested wood. She was aware of Yang moving behind her, but her focus was on the room before her, which now appeared to be devoid of life. But just as disappointment began to crawl up her spine, she caught a glimpse of movement off to her right and several figures emerged from the gloom of the building's interior.

"Hello kitty, we meet again." a gruff voice said, sending a shiver down Blake's spine.

"It seems we do." Blake said, her tone hiding the sudden rush of fear in her gut as she stared at the hulking, lupine faunus before her. She noted that his smaller companion was with him, along with several other faunus of all shapes and sizes.

"Who are these guys?" Yang asked then, her voice sounding as though it was coming from miles away.

"We're the Red Fang, human." the big faunus answered. "And you're dead."

"NO!" Blake shouted, as the faunus lunged past her, his claws reaching for Yang's throat. But before he could lay his hands on her, Yang had already sent him flying with a wicked, _Ember Celica_ enhanced right hook.

The other faunus hesitated a moment before attacking, but they were quickly out matched by Blake and Yang, who took them all down in a matter of minutes. But before Blake could begin questioning them about their plans, the big faunus flipped a switch and disappeared into the gloom, taking the others with him.

"Damn it!" Blake shouted in frustration, her instincts telling her to pursue her targets.

But before she could move to follow them, Yang pulled her towards the door, saying, "Blake, we have to get out of here. This place is gonna blow."

Blake didn't quite understand what Yang was telling her until they were a block away and a violent explosion shook the entire street.

"Was that...?" Blake asked, her voice trailing off in disbelief.

"The building we were just in?" Yang finished. "Yeah, it was."

Blake swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry, and then said, "Thank you Yang. Thank you for getting me out of there."

"Any time." Yang said. "I told you, I've always got your back."

Blake nodded and they set off, heading towards Ruby's house, where they had agreed to meet with the others at the end of the day.

* * *

That evening, gathered at Ruby's house, the members of teams RWBY, JNPR, CFVY, and SSSN exchanged the information they had discovered that day. It wasn't much, but Ruby was encouraged by the news Blake and Yang came bearing, as well as what Sun and Neptune had discovered.

"So, basically, we think this place is where the Red Fang is recruiting members." Sun said, summing up his tale of the apparent Red Fang base he and Neptune had discovered.

"Or it's only one of them." Blake said, not completely convinced by Sun's tale.

"Either way, it's something that's worth checking out again." Neptune said, defending Sun's account of what they'd found.

"Okay, well, we know a bit more about the Red Fang." Ruby said. "But we still don't know anything about that scrawl Weiss and I found or who is making the Liquid Dust and how."

"Not to mention the fact that we're also no closer to knowing about Roman's whereabouts." Yang said.

"I may have a lead on that actually." Jaune said, as he and Pyrrha finally arrived.

"Where have you two been?" Weiss demanded, her gaze sweeping over the pair as they took seats beside Ruby.

"More importantly, what do you mean you may have a lead on Roman?" Yang asked, ignoring Weiss's question.

"I mean I may know somebody who knows where Roman is." Jaune said.

"And why didn't you mention this sooner?" Ruby asked, her tone incredulous.

"Because you're not gonna like it." Jaune answered.

"And why is that?" Ruby asked, still incredulous.

"Because the person I'm referring to is Cardin Winchester." Jaune answered, grinning slightly at Ruby's look of shock.

* * *

**A/N: And that's chapter 3. I know it's been awhile since I updated this (or anything else), but I've been really busy lately and my time on this entire site has dramatically decreased. That's something I intend to change in the near future, but for now this will have to do. So, we now know more about the Red Fang and we've gotten our first brief glimpse at the larger things at work in this fic (yeah, I'm referring to the scrawl Ruby and Weiss found). What that actually means, you'll have to wait to find out. The more important question now is, what does Cardin have to do with discovering the whereabouts of Roman and his allies? Check back in chapter 4 for the potential answers. And, as always, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Cheers, KT. **


	4. A Revelation

The room was silent for a moment following Jaune's statement. Everyone was staring at him like he'd just farted and he was starting to feel uncomfortable, though a quick glance from Pyrrha calmed him slightly.

"Could you repeat that please?" Weiss said then, finally breaking the silence.

"I...uh, I said Cardin Winchester may know where Torchwick is." Jaune said, not meeting Weiss's piercing blue gaze.

"And why, exactly, would Cardin know where Torchwick is?" Weiss asked, her tone suggesting she didn't think there was even a chance this was true.

"Because Cardin was working with Torchwick and Cinder during our time at Beacon." Jaune answered, still not meeting Weiss's gaze.

"That was just a rumor." Weiss scoffed. "No one ever confirmed there was any sort of connection between Cardin and Roman."

"It wasn't just a rumor." Jaune said, his tone defiant. "Cardin was working with Torchwick. All of team CRDL was. It's just that no one ever realized it, no one but me."

Weiss didn't respond. What Jaune was saying made no sense. Cardin Winchester and his team had been students at Beacon at the time, so what use would they have been to a criminal mastermind like Roman Torchwick, let alone Cinder Fall? And yet, there was no denying that Cardin hadn't exactly been the nicest person in the world. But that wasn't enough to convince Weiss, or anyone else it seemed, that Jaune's claim was true.

"So, you're saying that team CRDL were secretly in league with Cinder and Roman the whole time and no one but you figured it out?" Yang asked, her tone confused. "Don't you think that sounds a little far fetched?"

"Perhaps it does." Pyrrha said then, turning everyone's attention from Jaune. "But that doesn't change the fact that it's true."

"Oh God, you actually believe him, don't you?" Weiss said, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"I do." Pyrrha answered, ignoring Weiss's exasperation. "Because I knew back then as well. I was the only one Jaune ever told."

Another uncomfortable silence followed Pyrrha's statement, as though the rest of the group was finally beginning to realize this wasn't a joke. Jaune was telling the truth and none of them had been wise enough to see it.

"Okay, but this still doesn't make any sense." Ruby said then. "Why would Torchwick bring team CRDL into the fold?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Pyrrha asked, her gaze still fixed on Weiss.

"Uh...no?" Ruby said, with a confused shrug.

"Team CRDL were still students at Beacon." Pyrrha said. "What would Roman have gained by having them in his corner?"

"Knowledge." Blake answered, before anyone else could. "Team CRDL were Roman and Cinder's eyes inside Beacon. They were passing information out in the hopes of giving our enemies an advantage they couldn't gain on their own."

"Exactly." Pyrrha said, with a quick glance at Blake. "We always wondered how Roman and Cinder stayed two steps ahead of us, and now we know."

"But why didn't you tell anyone?" Weiss asked, a hint of disapproval tinging her tone.

"Because we couldn't." Jaune answered.

"What do you mean you couldn't?" Weiss demanded.

"We were protecting them." Jaune answered. "Team CRDL, that is."

"Protecting them from what?" Weiss asked, now more confused than demanding.

"Themselves." Jaune answered. "And, more importantly, Roman and Cinder."

"What do you mean you were protecting them from themselves?" Blake asked. "Protecting them from Roman and Cinder I understand, but how were they a threat to themselves?"

"It wasn't so much that they were a threat to themselves." Jaune replied. "It was more that what they were doing, helping Roman and Cinder, was a threat to, well, everything. They were doing what they thought they had to and you know as well as anyone how that feeling can cloud a person's judgment. They were heading down a dangerous path and none of them were willing, or able, to see just how bad it was."

"But why help them at all?" Ruby asked, her question drawing surprised looks from several people in the room. "I mean, Cardin was so mean to you, so why were you so intent on keeping him safe? What did you gain?"

"Nothing." Jaune answered. "But it wasn't about that. I'm a Huntsman Ruby. I couldn't just turn my back on Cardin, no matter what he'd done to me. If I'd done that, then how could I have stayed at Beacon, how could I have considered myself worthy of becoming a Huntsman?"

"That's a good point Jaune." Ruby acknowledged. "But I'm still curious about one thing, what happened to team CRDL after all this?"

Jaune was silent for a moment. He didn't quite know how to respond to Ruby's question as the answer was a hard one to hear. But Ruby had a right to know, they all did, and Jaune was tired of keeping secrets. So, after taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he finally spoke again.

"They died." he said, his voice quiet, almost sad.

"What?" Ruby asked, shocked. "What do you mean they died?"

"I mean Russell, Sky, and Dove all died." Jaune answered. "After the things that happened back then, after we'd all graduated, things didn't go well for team CRDL. People knew they'd been helping the enemy, specifically people who were in power. They'd get jobs, but things never worked out for them. And then Dove and Sky were killed on a mission. Cardin and Russell continued working after that, but a short time later Russell was killed as well and Cardin just shut down. Pyrrha and I are the only ones who have spoken to him since."

"Is that how you know he knows where Roman is?" Blake asked, trying her best not to show how sad she was to have learned team CRDL's fate.

"It is." Pyrrha answered, as Jaune seemed to be lost in thought. Pyrrha gave him a searching look before continuing. "Cardin has been in contact with Roman this whole time and we've been in contact with Cardin. He knows where Roman is, but he's afraid to tell anyone. However, we have learned from him that Roman is no longer a real threat. There is something else at work, a new player on the field, but even Roman doesn't seem to know who it is."

"It doesn't matter." Ruby said, suddenly determined. "That's the connection. This new player is the key to everything. If we find who he is, we find out everything else."

"How do you figure that?" Weiss asked, with a skeptical glance at her partner.

"Think about it." Ruby said. "We have all these seemingly separate things happening at the same time and now we learn that there's a new evil no one knows much about. How is that not an obvious connection? I mean, what else could be strong enough or have enough influence to create a dust based drug, convince the remnants of the White Fang to rise up, create enough negativity to power the Grimm, and keep Roman and Cinder from revealing themselves?"

"Ruby does make a good point." Sun said, speaking for the first time. "I mean, we wondered if these events were connected and now we have a way to prove they are."

"So, what are you suggesting we do?" Weiss asked.

"First, we talk to Cardin." Ruby said. "Then, we find out who this new player is."

* * *

**A/N: And that's chapter 4. I know it's been a long time since I last updated (this, or anything else), but I've finally found my inspiration again. Sorry this is so short, btw. Anyway, as you can probably guess, this story is going to become very AU in light of how volume 3 played out. I really enjoyed what actually happened and think it was really well done. However, certain things, namely the Maidens, Pyrrha's death, the breakup of team RWBY, and what happened with Roman and Cinder don't fit with what I want to do with this fic. So I will be ignoring those events and creating my own version of the storyline, hence the dramatic AU. So, that's all I have on that. Hope you enjoyed. Cheers, KT.**


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